Escaped emus back at Woodbridge farm; 1 bird died after capture

Four birds managed to get out of Woodbridge barn; 1 died after being caught

Published 6:20 pm, Monday, November 9, 2015

Photo: Photo Via WTNH.com

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An escaped emu is seen walking through Seymour Thursday morning.

An escaped emu is seen walking through Seymour Thursday morning.

Photo: Photo Via WTNH.com

Escaped emus back at Woodbridge farm; 1 bird died after capture

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SEYMOUR >> The plight of two emus that escaped from a farm in Woodbridge last week and were spotted wandering the streets here, has both a happy and a sad ending.

According to a report from WTNH, one of the emus — named Stella — was safely captured in Seymour Sunday and returned home in nearby Woodbridge. However, Mnck (pronounced Monk), who had been captured a day earlier, was not so fortunate, and died following her capture.

The two large, flightless birds escaped from the farm in Woodbridge along with two other emus, which were captured pretty quickly after they got out of their barn. The birds’ owner, Elizabeth “Woozie” Wikfors, previously told WTNH that her pot-bellied pig opened the barn gate which led to the emus getting loose and hitting the road.

Police in Seymour and Woodbridge, along with state troopers and neighbors, assisted in the search for the missing birds. One of the emus was spotted last Wednesday strolling along North Main Street in Seymour, and another other was seen near Route 8.

Wikfors, who received the pair of emus for her birthday some 18 years ago, said when Mnck was spotted by police, the bird appeared “sluggish, panicked and exhausted,” and unfortunately died as police were attempting to capture her and return her safely home.

Wikfors told WTNH that she was grateful to all the help from neighbors and others who worked around the clock in trying to bring her pet birds home.

“I’m still trying to put together what happened, but I’ll tell you, our neighbors here in this town are the best anybody could hope for. I’m still a little misty,” she said.

Seymour Deputy Police Chief Paul Satkowski said Monday that the department received several 911 calls over the weekend, and police were able to track the bird, Stella, to a location near Lakeview Avenue, which abuts Route 8. Satkowski said part of Route 8 was shut down for a short while to ensure the bird wouldn’t get hit on the highway. The bird ended up getting stuck in a fence, however, which separates the nearby roadway from the highway, and police then successfully wrangled Stella into captivity. Police called Wikfors, who helped in the captivity and safe return of her beloved pet.

“Obviously we’re happy the animal was returned to its owner,” Satkowski said. “This one had a good outcome.”

Wikfors, who was not available for comment Monday, told the Connecticut Post that Stella was doing fine after being returned back to the farm, but she believes Mnck suffered an apparent heart attack after not having a proper diet from being on the run for some five days.

Seymour police took to Twitter Sunday to report Stella had been captured and returned home.

“The missing Emu has been captured and returned to its’ owner in Woodbridge,” police wrote on Twitter. “Thank you to the public and Officers for their assistance.”

According to statistics, emus are native to Australia, and are the second-largest living bird in the world by height, next to the ostrich. They have long necks, two sets of eyelids, can grow more than 6½ feet tall and can weigh up to 130 pounds. Emus can run at speeds up to 30 mph.